Posted on 12/09/2019 8:56:17 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The White House and House Democrats are on the verge of a new North American trade deal in what would give President Trump a signature legislative victory.
The Washington Post reported Monday that AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the two sides had come to a deal and that the labor union was reviewing it.
The White House and AFL-CIO did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
But a senior Democratic aide pushed back on the report, saying that nothing had yet been finalized.
"We’re still studying the proposal," the aide said.
Trump announced the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) more than a year ago. Negotiations with House Democrats have been ongoing ever since, with Democratic leaders pushing for stronger labor and environmental regulations.
A deal on the USMCA would come at a time when House Democrats are moving to impeach Trump and would also benefit Democrats by helping the party argue it is legislating even as impeachment moves forward. The legislation is a divisive point among some Democrats, however. Sharp critics of the president have been reluctant to vote on the USMCA and give Trump a legislative victory, while some more moderate lawmakers have been wary of returning to their districts with impeachment dominating the conversation.
But Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been adamant that the caucus can keep impeachment separate from legislation, and she has met in recent weeks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and other administration officials.
Trump has repeatedly hammered Pelosi for her decision not to bring the USMCA up for a vote to date, accusing her of delaying it to shepherd votes on impeachment.
"I'll see if I can be switched from 'no' to 'yes,'" Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade and close union ally
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
The Democrats are loathe to give President Trump any kind of win.
Look for them to stall this with their impeachment circus.
The old NAFTA agreement had a provision saying companies no longer had to indicate a product’s country of origin. I sure hope the USMCA does not have such a provision.
Because if a tomato comes from Mexico, I want to know that.
For me anyway, food from Mexico = do not buy.
If it passes it will be because of the unions, not the obstructionist democrats
Trump needs to hammer that home
DO NOTHING = DO NOTHING
Hammer home they don’t give a rat’s behind about ANYONE
Except themselves and their equally evil families and buddies
The White House and House Democrats are on the verge of a new North American trade deal in what would give President Trump a signature legislative victory.
~~~
Trump has leverage.
Democrats look like do-nothing haters with impeachment going on... an impeachment that looks foolishly partisan.
So in some ways, it actually helps Trump politically if they don’t pass this.
How are the American people getting screwed on this deal?
Not as screwed as we were with NAFTA
A lot less than with the previous deal.
“Not as screwed as we were with NAFTA”
Whew! I feel better.
The same framework preventing generics to market for 10 years in TPP is in USMCA. It also deletes part of the Communications Decency Act to give them an even bigger loophole to censor content on the internet.
Richard Trumka is a radical.
Is this the bill that would grant “amnesty”, perks and the path to citizenship to agricultural workers?
RE: Is this the bill that would grant “amnesty”, perks and the path to citizenship to agricultural workers?
I don’t think the bill mentions anything immigration related.
USMCA Annex 23-A requires Mexico to pass legislation that improves the collective bargaining capabilities of labor unions.
The specific standards Mexico is required to comply with are detailed in the International Labour Organization’s Convention 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining. The administration of Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, introduced legislation in late 2018 which pursues compliance with these international standards.
Other labor related measures include a minimum wage requirement in the automotive industry. Specifically, 40 to 45 percent of the automobiles manufactured in North America must be made in a factory that pays a minimum of $16 per hour.
This measure will be phased in during the first five years after USMCA ratification.
This provision clearly will encourage workers to STAY in Mexico rather than come to the USA for better wages.
RE: How are the American people getting screwed on this deal?
Hard to tell if it is to our advantage or not unless you read the provision in this bill. See here if you like or dislike anything compared to the old NAFTA:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States%E2%80%93Mexico%E2%80%93Canada_Agreement
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